Month: August 2020

Virginia Blocked Over 1,000 Handgun Purchases During First Month of One-Pistol-per-Month Regulation

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A total of 1,102 people were denied handguns in Virginia in July, following the implementation of a new law that prohibits more than one pistol purchase per 30 days.

Roughly 59% of Virginia’s 1,877 total firearm denials were attributed to confusion about exactly when the first 30-day period began, according to data obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The policy, which Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law in April along with other gun regulations, took effect on July 1. However, the state had been tracking handgun purchases since June, the Dispatch reported.

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Biden Denies Ever Taking a Cognitive Test After Claiming That He’s ‘Tested Constantly’

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday denied ever taking a cognitive test—even though he recently bragged that he takes them “constantly.”

After scoffing at the idea, Biden, who was appearing at a virtual forum at the 2020 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Joint Virtual Convention, compared the question to asking if black CBS reporter Errol Barnett had taken cocaine before the interview.

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Less Than One in Eight Excessive Force Complaints Are Substantiated, NYPD Complaint Data Shows

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According to recently released NYPD complaint data, less than 13% of excessive use of force complaints filed against New York Police Department officers is substantiated.

The raw data was published by ProPublica, which obtained it from the New York Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). The database includes every complaint against active-duty officers who’ve had at least one complaint substantiated.

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GOP Rep. Roger Marshall Defeats Kris Kobach in Kansas Senate Primary

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Kansas Rep. Roger Marshall won the Republican primary Tuesday, beating Kris Kobach in the race for the state’s open senate seat.

Marshall, a second-term congressman from the western part of the state, won with 37.2% of the vote, compared to Kobach’s  25.6%, according to the New York Times. He now faces former state Sen. Barbara Bollier, a former Republican who cruised to victory in the Democratic primary, in a competitive race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Pat Roberts.

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Condoleezza Rice Warns the ‘Problem of the Left’ Is Assuming How Black People Should Think

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Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a Tuesday interview that the “problem of the left” is that it assumes how black people should think.

Rice spoke with The New York Times’s Peter Baker during an Aspen Security Forum interview in which the former secretary of state said she does not believe the U.S. will ever become truly colorblind. She said she hopes Americans will stop making assumptions about one another based on race.

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Biden Won’t Go to Milwaukee to Accept Democratic Nomination

The Associated Press

Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept the Democratic presidential nomination because of concerns over the coronavirus, party officials said Wednesday, signaling a move to a convention that essentially has become entirely virtual.

It is the latest example of the pandemic’s sweeping effects on the 2020 presidential election and the latest blow to traditional party nominating conventions that historically have marked the start of fall general election campaigns.

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Virginia Attorney General Joins Amicus Brief Aimed to Block Trump Administration’s New Rules for Asylum Seekers

Zachery Schmidt

  Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring joined an amicus brief Tuesday that disputes the Trump administration’s new rules pertaining to asylum seekers’ employment authorization. The Trump administration announced in June that asylum seekers must wait a year before applying for employment authorization rather than 150 days. Also, the administration eliminated…

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Homicides Skyrocket in Dozens of Nation’s Largest Cities, Analysis Finds

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Homicides in 50 of America’s largest cities rose by 24%, a new analysis found.

In total, 36 of 50 of America’s largest cities examined saw a double-digit rise in homicide rates, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Austin and Chicago’s homicide rates have increased more than 50% in comparison to last year’s rates, according to the Journal.

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Massive Beirut Blast Kills More Than 60, Injures Thousands

The Associated Press

A massive explosion rocked Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings across the capital and sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky. More than 60 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured, with bodies buried in the rubble, officials said.

Hours later, ambulances still carried away the wounded as army helicopters helped battle fires raging at the port.

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Cuban Restaurant Owner in Louisville Says BLM Is Using ‘Mafia Tactics’ to Extort Local Businesses

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A Cuban business owner in Louisville has accused local Black Lives Matter activists of threatening him and using “mafia tactics” after they presented him and other business owners with a list of “demands.”

Fernando Martinez, a partner of the Olé Restaurant Group, was one of dozens of business owners in the downtown “NuLu” district who  received a letter from “local organizers and activists” in recent days that made a number of demands, including a requirement that they make “a recurring monthly donation of 1.5% of net sales” to local black organizations, and that they display a sign that shows support for “the reparations movement” or face “repercussions of noncompliance.”

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Report: US Manufacturing Shows Improvement in July

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Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in July, with the overall economy notching a third consecutive month of growth, according to a new report published by the Institute for Supply Management.

The Manufacturing ISM “Report on Business” calculated a July composite reading of 54.2 percent, a second straight month of growth for U.S. factories.

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Karen Bass Pictured at Nation of Islam Events, Wouldn’t Disavow Radical Group

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Rep. Karen Bass, a top contender to become presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate, appeared at Nation of Islam events, posed for a picture with a top Nation of Islam official, and attended a forum in 2013 hosted by the organization’s official mouthpiece.

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has referred to Jewish people as “satanic,” blamed them for the Holocaust and the Sept. 11, 2011 terrorist attacks, and once praised Adolf Hitler as a “very great man.” Farrakhan has also denounced interracial marriage, which he said has “mongrelized” the black race.

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Virginia State Rep. Introduces Bill to Limit Governor’s Executive Order Powers in Times of Emergency

Zachery Schmidt

State Sen. David Suetterlein (R-Cave Spring) introduced a bill last week to check the Virginia governor’s executive order powers under the Emergency Services and Disaster Law (ESDL).

The ESDL allows the Virginia governor “to direct and compel evacuation of all or part of the populace from any stricken or threatened area if this action is deemed necessary for the preservation of life, implement emergency mitigation, preparedness, response or recovery actions; prescribe routes, modes of transportation and destination in connection with evacuation.”

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President Trump Fires Tennessee Valley Authority Chair Over Hiring of Foreign Workers, Caps TVA CEO Pay at $500k

The Associated Press

President Donald Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority, criticizing the federal-owned corporation for hiring foreign workers.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board, and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor. Thompson was appointed to the post by Trump.

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Trump’s Campaign Manager Says Debates Should Happen Before Early Voting Begins: ‘We Want Them Sooner’

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President Donald Trump’s campaign manager called Monday for more presidential debates, saying that they should begin earlier than planned.

During an interview with “Fox & Friends” Monday morning, Bill Stepien said that the current debate schedule, which is set to begin Sept. 29, will prevent voters in early-voting states from seeing the two candidates go head-to-head before casting their ballots.

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Virginia Judge Bars Lee Statue Removal for 90 Days

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A judge on Monday dissolved one injunction preventing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration from removing an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond but immediately instituted a new one in a different lawsuit.

The new 90-day injunction issued by Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant bars the statue’s removal while the claims in a lawsuit filed by a group of Richmond property owners are litigated.

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Study: 68 Percent of Workers Earned More on Unemployment with $600 Weekly Enhancement

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Some unemployed workers received nearly twice as much money through unemployment insurance (UI) payments authorized through the CARES Act than they earned when they were employed, a new study from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) found.

In response to states shutting down economies over coronavirus fears, Congress passed several relief bills, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These two bills expanded the UI benefit period, suspended work search requirements, included newly eligible individuals, and added a $600-per-week unemployment benefit enhancement through July 31.

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The Status of the Coronavirus Vaccine Continues to Advance Rapidly

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Researchers, governments and pharmaceutical companies worldwide have been working rapidly to develop an effective vaccine against coronavirus, which has infected over 4.5 million and killed over 150,000 people in the United States alone.

Testing has advanced quickly and there’s optimism that a vaccine will be developed before 2021. But there are also concerns that a vaccine won’t be sufficiently stockpiled or efficiently distributed. There’s additional worry that the growing distrust in vaccines will result in large numbers refusing the injection, making it less beneficial.

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Analysis: Rhetoric About a New Civil War Is on the Rise

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In June, we counted 23 articles written about the prospect of a new or cold civil war in the United States. In July, that number doubled to 46. That’s no mere “uptick.”

Right or wrong, these prognostications from both Left and Right are significant for what they reveal about the nature of the political division in the United States. Interest in this topic will only increase as we approach the election in November and whatever lies beyond it.

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SpaceX Capsule and NASA Crew Make First Splashdown in 45 Years

The Associated Press

Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to close out an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years, with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year.

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Gov. Northam Requests Ban on Evictions in Virginia, but Economic Impact Draws Concern

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Gov. Ralph Northam is asking the Virginia Supreme Court to extend a ban on evictions until Sept. 7 amid thousands of pending cases, but some critics worry about the economic impact.

The ban was first implemented earlier this year to prevent Virginians from losing their homes because of the economic hardships caused by the shutdown over COVID-19. With hardships continuing statewide and the governor pulling back on the reopening of Hampton Roads, he has requested an extension.

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Police Budgets Nationwide In Crisis After Covid, Activism Cut Funding in Half: Study

Ben Kolodny
Nashville Police

Police Departments across the country are in crisis as calls to defund the police, rioting, and the Covid Crisis threaten to sap existing resources. 

A new study by the Police Executive Research Forum showed that almost half of the 258 departments surveyed are facing budget cuts. Portland City council approved a $15,000,000 dollar budget cut last month as the city struggled with riots. The Portland Police Department was forced to pay over $5,000,000 in overtime to deal with the unrest. 

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Texas County Commissioners Vote Unanimously to Keep Confederate Monument Outside Courthouse

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A Confederate statue will remain on a Texas county courthouse lawn, commissioners voted unanimously Thursday.

Parker County Judge Pat Deen said county documents did not provide any evidence that the statue had ever been officially owned by the county, the Forth Worth Star-Telegram reported. Deen said the statue is actually property of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. United Daughters of the Confederacy was founded in Nashville in 1894 and seeks to preserve the history of the Confederate States, according to its website.

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Demand for Electric Cars Fuel Detroit Manufacturers to Invest in Car Charging Stations

The Associated Press

As the automotive industry fills the demand for electric cars, the country – and the world – will need thousands more plug-in charging stations for vehicles powered by batteries alone. And because they’re being asked to invest before that demand arrives, automakers and charging companies are struggling to raise the numbers.

Currently electric vehicles make up only about 1.3% of total new vehicle sales in the U.S., according to the Edmunds.com auto site. Electrics are much bigger in other countries, accounting for 2.6% of global new vehicle sales last year, the International Energy Agency says. There are now 26,000 electric vehicle charging stations open to the public in the U.S., with more than 84,000 plugs.

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Karen Bass, a Potential Biden VP Pick, Praised Scientology at Church Opening in 2010

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California Rep. Karen Bass, who has emerged as a leading contender to be Joe Biden’s running mate, praised the Church of Scientology during a 2010 ribbon-cutting ceremony for one of the controversial group’s facilities in Los Angeles.

Bass, 66, served in the California General Assembly when she spoke at the event, held on April 24, 2010.

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Counselor in Texas School District Shares List of Marxist Literature as ‘Tool’

Sam Medley

A lengthy email from a counselor in Plano Independent School District (PISD) sent to colleagues contained three attachments including, among other things, a list of overtly Marxist media for use in classrooms, and a study guide for those “trying to become better allies.”

The attachments highlight materials like The 1619 Project (which claims America’s history is based on racism and slavery), talking points concerning the deaths of George Floyd; Breonna Taylor; and Ahmaud Arbery; and suggested reading lists including Marxist and Communist literature.

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Treasury Department: States, Local Governments Spend Only 25 Percent of CARES Act Subsidies

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As deliberations continue in Congress over how to allocate another $1 trillion worth of stimulus money, governors and mayors say they need more than the $139 billion already allocated to their states in March to cover revenue shortfalls.

A total of $150 billion was allocated to help state, local and tribal governments with specific COVID-19 response programs.

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Dianne Feinstein Says China, Which Is Putting Muslims in Camps, Is ‘Growing into a Respectable Nation’

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Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein praised China Thursday as a country “growing into a respectable nation” and cautioned against holding the country accountable for the coronavirus pandemic.

“We hold China as a potential trading partner, as a country that has pulled tens of millions of people out of poverty in a short period of time, and as a country growing into a respectable nation amongst other nations. I deeply believe that,” Feinstein said during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Thursday, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

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Federal Unemployment Benefits Expiring as Democratic Leaders Demand Non-COVID-19 Related Policies

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The additional $600 weekly federal unemployment benefits expire Friday after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected a White House offer to temporarily extend them.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that, “Senate Republicans tried several ways to extend the expiring unemployment assistance. Democrats blocked them all and refused another dime for COVID-19 relief unless they get to pass a bill that includes an unrelated tax cut for rich people in blue states.”

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Survey: Private, Charter Schools More Likely to Provide Meaningful Education During Shutdowns

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Several reports and national surveys indicate that private and charter schools provided more meaningful educational services during state shutdowns than public schools did, and more parents are choosing nontraditional educational options this fall.

A nationally representative survey conducted by Education Next found that while there was “a lot of lost ground on learning” during coronavirus shutdowns in the spring semester, there was “a more robust response in the charter school sector and in the private school sector” among respondents.

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Ilhan Omar Pays Husband’s Firm Another $600,000 in Just Three Weeks, Bringing Total Over $1.7 Million

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Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s re-election campaign paid her husband’s consulting firm more than $600,000 in the first three weeks of July, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show.

Omar’s campaign has now paid E Street Group, the consulting firm run by Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, more than $1.7 million since August 2018, according to FEC records.

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‘Constant’ Orgies, ‘Beautiful, Tall’ European Models: Accuser Describes Epstein’s Pedophile Island in Unsealed Docs

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Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his cohort and ex-over Ghislaine Maxwell hosted “constant” orgies on Epstein’s private Caribbean island, accuser Virginia Giuffre says in newly released court documents.

The documents are transcripts of depositions from Giuffre’s previously settled 2016 civil lawsuit against Maxwell, whom Giuffre says sexually abused her along with Epstein, attorney Alan Dershowitz, and the U.K.’s Prince Andrew. The documents were made public for the first time Thursday evening, according to the New York Post.

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US Invests Another $2.1 Billion into a Potential Vaccine

The Associated Press

Pharma giants GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur have announced they will supply 100 million doses of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine to the United States as governments buy up supplies in hopes of securing a candidate that works.

The United States will pay up to $2.1 billion “for development including clinical trials, manufacturing, scale-up and delivery” of the vaccine, the two companies based in Europe said in a statement. Sanofi will get the bulk of the funds.

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Hong Kong Postpones Elections by a Year, Citing Coronavirus

The Associated Press

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced Friday that the government will postpone highly anticipated legislative elections by one year, citing a worsening coronavirus outbreak in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

The Hong Kong government is invoking an emergency ordinance in delaying the elections. Lam said the government has the support of the Chinese government in making the decision to hold the elections on Sept. 5, 2021.

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Florida Teen Arrested for Massive Twitter Hack, Prosecutors Say

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A 17-year-old from Tampa, Florida, was arrested Friday for allegedly carrying out the massive Twitter hacking scam on July 15, according to WFLA.

Graham Ivan Clark was arrested Friday around 6 a.m. and faces 30 felony charges in the alleged scam, which prosecutors have dubbed the “Bit-Con” hack, according to a press release from Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew H. Warren.

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Court Overturns Boston Marathon Bomber’s Death Sentence

The Associated Press

A federal appeals court Friday threw out Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, saying the judge who oversaw the case did not adequately screen jurors for potential biases.

A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new penalty-phase trial on whether the 27-year-old Tsarnaev should be executed for the attack that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others.

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